Hinge attaching device for eyewear frame

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a device a fixing member associated with the hinge element and anchored by overmoulding in a frame bow or front flank obtained by moulding. Said fixing member comprises a first plate bearing the hinge element, or the housing, and which via a central bridge is linked to a second plate extending substantially parallel to the first. The central bridge extends transversely in said bow or front flank while being completely embedded in the moulded material of said bow or front flank. The second plate projects outside the outer surface of the bow and of the front flank and has a surface forming an ornament.

[0001] This invention relates to attaching devices for a hinge on amolded temple or on the front of an eyeglasses frame.

[0002] Of general knowledge are single, non-flexible hinges providedwith an attaching device in the form of at least one clamp that, takenas a whole, is T-shaped. At the time of the molding of the temple or ofthe front, the entire hinge-attachment element is provided at the end ofthe temple or of the front and the attachment element is thusdouble-molded by the molding compound so as to fasten the hinge elementto this temple or the front of the frame.

[0003] The manufacture by molding of a temple or a front is well knownin the technical field and will not be explained herein in detail.

[0004] Also known are flexible hinges wherein the hinge of the temple islinked to a spring mechanism placed in a casing box.

[0005] This housing is welded onto a T-shaped element, similar to theshape of the non-flexible hinge attachment. In the molding process ofthe temple, the T-shaped attaching device is embedded in the moldingcompound, which ensures the securing of the housing that remainsdisengaged on the inner face of the temple.

[0006] The spring mechanism can be either of sliding type or of rod typewell known in the technique. This elastic mechanism is installed in ahousing formed by a covering cap and it is linked to the temple hingethat can thus move because of the spring action of the mechanism, whilethe front hinge element is rigidly fastened to one end of the front ofthe frame.

[0007] In the case of the flexible hinges, the casing box constitutingthe housing for the spring mechanism can also be produced by the MIM(from the English Metal Injection Moulding) technique that is a processof injection molding of a compound of a metal powder and a thermoplasticbonding material in a mold. The MIM fabrication technique of such acasing box for an flexible hinge is described in document EP-A-0 817 967and will not be explained in more detail.

[0008] The known hinge attaching devices cannot be used on relativelythin temples or frame fronts because it is necessary that they be of acertain thickness so that the attachment element be securely fastened.Furthermore, the temple hinge attaching device for flexible hinges isrelatively complicated to use because it is also necessary to conduct anoperation consisting in securing the casing box to the T-shapedattachment element.

[0009] The invention has the aim to remedy these disadvantages bypresenting a hinge attaching device that is generally easy to use, aboveall, for the flexible hinges and, in particular, suitable to be used forthin temples or frame fronts. The attaching device in accordance withthe invention presents an additional advantage because of the fact thatit may be ornamental without the necessity of having to add other parts.

[0010] The object of the invention is a hinge attachment element foreyewear frames, comprised by an attaching device associated with thehinge element and secured by double-molding on a temple or frame frontobtained buy molding, characterized in that the attaching device isconstituted by a first plaque provided with the hinge element and which,by means of a central bridge, is connected to a second plaque; thiscentral bridge extends transversally along said temple or frame front,being fully immersed in the molding compound of said temple or front ofthe frame.

[0011] In accordance with other advantageous characteristics of theinvention:

[0012] said second plaque protrudes laterally beyond the external faceof said front of the eyeglasses frame;

[0013] said second plaque presents towards the outside an ornamentalsurface;

[0014] said central bridge is pierced for an improved holding of themolding compound;

[0015] the plaques present a peripheral surface to obtain the tightnessof the temple or of the front of the frame;

[0016] said first plaque is directly linked to the hinge element;

[0017] said first plaque is attached to the hinge element by means of aspring-actuated mechanism housed in a casing box linked to the firstplaque;

[0018] the casing box is cast molded with said attaching device;

[0019] the casing box of the spring-actuated mechanism is constituted bya covering cap mounted on and affixed to the surface of said firstplaque;

[0020] said attaching device is produced by using the MIM technique;

[0021] said attaching device and the casing box are produced in one onlypiece by the MIM technique.

[0022] Some other characteristics and advantages of the invention can begathered from the description that is given, by way of example, of someother embodiments, making reference to the attached illustrations inwhich:

[0023]FIG. 1 is a partial cutaway lateral view showing two devices inaccordance with the invention for the attaching of temple and fronthinge elements of a non-flexible hinge;

[0024]FIG. 2 is a partial cutaway lateral view showing two attachingdevices in accordance with the invention, one of which is linked to acasing box of a spring-actuated hinge while the other one is linked to ahinge element for the front of the frame;

[0025]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an attaching device in accordancewith the invention linked to a casing box for the housing of a mechanismfor a spring-actuated hinge;

[0026]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the attaching device illustratedin FIG. 1, turned 180°;

[0027]FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view of the attaching deviceillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, mounted on an end of a temple;

[0028]FIG. 6 is a transversal section view of the device and the templeillustrated in FIG. 5.

[0029]FIG. 1 illustrates two attaching devices in accordance with theinvention adapted to a non-flexible hinge. Each attaching devicecomprises a hinge attachment element 1, which device is provided with afirst plaque 2 and a second plaque 3 that are joined to each other bymeans of a central bridge 4. These two plaques are approximatelyparallel to each other.

[0030] The attachment element 1 of one of these devices is affixed totwo hinges on the front of the frame, that constitute a female hingewhile the attachment element of the other device is affixed to thetemple hinge 6 that forms the male hinge. The temple hinge 6 is affixedin a customary manner to the frame front hinges 5 by means of a half-dogpoint screw 7 to form the joint between the temple 8 and the front 9 ofthe frame.

[0031] At the time of the molding of the temple 8, and in an analogousmanner when molding the front 9, the corresponding hinge-attachmentelement assembly is placed in the mold in such a manner that the centralbridge 4 extends transversally along the temple, perpendicular to itslongitudinal axis. The central bridge is completely immersed in themolding compound. At the time of the molding, it is necessary to ensurethe tightness of the molding of the two sides of the temple or of thefront of the frame. In order to accomplish this, the first and secondplaques 2, 3 are not immersed in the compound, but they protrudeslightly on the two sides of the external and inner surfaces of thetemple. The tightness is ensured on the periphery of the first andsecond plaques 2, 3. The molding compound rises thus slightly on theperipheries of the plaques without, however, covering them.

[0032] Thu, the second plaque 3, that has the sole purpose of attachingthe hinge element, whereas it is fastened to the first plaque, protrudeslaterally beyond the external surface of the temple, thus presenting asurface that advantageously constitutes an ornament 10, that can be usedfor a design, for a trademark, etc.

[0033] Although the hinge elements with the attaching devices inaccordance with the invention can be manufactured by machining, they arepreferably produced by the above-mentioned MIM technique, which consistsin mixing a bonding material with a metallic powder of a very finegranulometry, in injecting this mixture into a mold and to expel thebonding material by means of disintegration and evaporation to obtain ablank of the desired shapes and that is subsequently sintered which,after a certain shrinkage, gives it the final shape. This is a techniquethat at present is fully mastered and particularly well suited for themanufacture of small parts having complex shapes of relatively highprecision. Thus, by this type of molding it is possible to obtaindifferent designs on the ornament.

[0034] FIGS. 2 to 6 show another embodiment applied to a spring-actuatedhinge. The elements analogous to those previously described in theembodiment of FIG. 1 are designated with the same references.

[0035] The attaching device for the temple hinge element 5 ispractically identical to the one described in regards to FIG. 1, whereasin the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 6 the attaching device ofthe temple hinge element 6 is affixed to a casing box 12 that isprovided with a housing 13 for the spring mechanism of thespring-actuated hinge. The details of the spring-actuated mechanism arenot described because they are well known and do not directly relate tothe present invention. It is merely recalled that this mechanism allowsthe hinge element to move by translation when the temple is turnedeither to the inside or to the outside, in order to thus bring thetemple in an elastic manner to one of the two constant positions,namely, folded (not in use) or unfolded (in use). This mechanism allowsan angular movement of the temple towards the outside beyond theposition of “utilization.” Such hinges contribute an element of comfortto the wearing of glasses because the temples lie against the sides offace with a reasonable pressure.

[0036] The casing box can be constituted by a covering cap mounted onand affixed to the surface of the first plaque by soldering butpreferably, and as it is the case of the illustrated embodiment, thecasing box 13 is of a compound, namely, of one only piece with theattaching device and, to be more precise, it is affixed to the firstplaque 2 of the attaching device 1. The casing box can be part of asingle-piece unit, machined after having been obtained in a standardmanner by machining and cold headed, but it is preferably shaped fromone piece obtained by the MIM technique. To form the housing of thecasing box it suffices to incorporate a spindle into the MIM

[0037] Thus can be obtained a housing that is open on one side for theinsertion of the spring mechanism that must be solidly affixed, forexample, by means of a screw screwed into a hole 14 and interacting withan element constituting a catch for the spring of the mechanism.

[0038] Further, in the examples illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 6, the centralbridge is of elongated shape and it is pierced by holes that areregularly arranged and aligned with respect to each other. These holesimprove the setting of the molding compound when molding the temple.

[0039] Other variants can be envisaged without, however, deviating fromthe scope of the invention.

[0040] Thus is obtained an attaching device that provides an extremelyreliable fixation on a temple or the front of an eyewear frame, that isparticularly well adapted for the manufacture of thin temples and that,additionally, presents an outer surface that could be ornamental.

What we claim is:
 1. A hinge attaching device for eyewear framescomprising an attachment element (1) interacting with the hinge element(5, 6) and affixed by double-molding to a temple (8) or the front of aneyewear frame (9) obtained by molding, characterized in that theattachment element (1) is provided with a first plaque (2) on which isaffixed the hinge element (5, 6) and that by means of a central bridge(4) is linked to a second plaque, which central bridge extendstransversally along said temple (8) or front (9), being fully immersedin the molding compound of the temple and the front of the frame.
 2. Anattaching device in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that saidsecond plaque (3) protrudes laterally from the outer surface of saidtemple (8) or from the front (1) of the frame.
 3. An attaching device inaccordance with claim 2 , characterized in that said second plaque (3)presents toward the outside a surface constituting an ornament.
 4. Adevice in accordance with any of the foregoing claims, characterized inthat said central bridge (4) is pierced for an improved holding of themolding compound.
 5. A device in accordance with any of the foregoingclaims, characterized in that the plaques (2, 3) present a peripheralsurface serving for the tightness when double-molding the temple or thefront of the frame.
 6. A device in accordance with any of the foregoingclaims, characterized in that said first plaque (2) is directly joinedto the hinge element (5, 6).
 7. A device in accordance with any of theclaims 1 to 5 , characterized in that said first plaque (2) is joined tothe hinge element (8) by means of a spring-actuated mechanism housed ina casing box (12) affixed to said first plaque (2).
 8. A device inaccordance with claim 7 , characterized in that this casing box (12) ismolded with the attachment element.
 9. A device in accordance with claim7 , characterized in that the casing box (12) of the spring-actuatedmechanism is a housing constituted by a covering cap mounted on andaffixed to the surface of said first plaque (2).
 10. A device inaccordance with any of the claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that thisattachment element (1) is manufactured by the MIM method.
 11. A devicein accordance with any of the claims 7 or 8 and 10, characterized inthat said attachment element (1) and the casing box (12) are produced inone only piece by means of the MIM method.